Made me much more aware of the cause and effect relationship of peds signalling cabs for the left cross.

It's pretty much reflex for me now to be ready for that, but I hadn't ever been in the situation until last night. Would have been in the hospital if not for the "Andrew warning" I've heard half a dozen times now. Dude literally looked right through me, accelerated/veered into the space I was half a second before. When the fare was diving out of the way of me and I had my knee on the guy's hood, he was still oblivious. I literally pulled around and road up to the guy's window ... meanwhile he's mouth-breathing at the fare wondering why they won't get into the cab (he never saw me at all until I practically went after him through his driver side window). In the end, I just calmly explained to him that he's almost nailed me ... but I don't know if the guy even believed me. He had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.

Made me much more aware of the cause and effect relationship of peds signalling cabs for the left cross.

Always move to the center of the lane, if possible, when you spy a ped hailing a cab. Fabulous rule of thimb to pass around, I make it clear no one is to lurch to the curb for the fare when I'm in the lane. Cabbies don't have it easy and some get excited when they see the fare, it's no excuse just something to be wary of.

Good peds know that can happen too, There've been several occasions when I've been riding and a ped will put up a palm to keep the cabbie from trying to edge me out to get the curb, once a lady even refused the cab of a fellow that kept his forward right fender 4 inches off my left pedal, trying to get me right so he could take the lane and get the fare, ahead of me? Like I'm gonna steal his fare.

Always move to the center of the lane, if possible, when you spy a ped hailing a cab. Fabulous rule of thimb to pass around, I make it clear no one is to lurch to the curb for the fare when I'm in the lane. Cabbies don't have it easy and some get excited when they see the fare, it's no excuse just something to be wary of.

Unfortunately it wasn't a situation where I could take the easy left around. I was "taking the lane" (in theory, at least) because I was about to make a right a bit further up the street. Dude was just tunneling visioning. Meh, it's a new day ... all's good.

Yea I could never blame the ped, they just wanted a cab. But death from behind like that.....I'll not be so forgiving to the cabbie. Sam seems to have a much more zen approach to cabbies. Show 'em the lock..

must be something in the air, i had a similar scenario on my commute this morning. i veer around a cab as he accelerates past then slams on his brakes to get to the curb in a hurry. when i'm back into the right lane, about 30 seconds later this idiot in a luxury sedan pulls up behind me and leans on the horn then speeds off. so i catch him at a red light and spit all over his window. probably not the most mature response but mad is mad, what can i say. i'm going to start riding around in one of those fully enclosed trikes, i wonder if they're any safer. glad you're ok eyefloater.

It never fails to boggle my mind why, when you're in a car with all that power at your toe, why they feel the need to accelerate then brake, when going behind the biker and just waiting a couple seconds ( all it ever seems to be) is so much better for the car itself AND all fleshies involved.

The spitting thing can have some serious repercussions, J. Be prepared to fight for your life if you're going to do that. Drivers' reactions to that can range from bewilderment to full on red-faced murderous insanity.

must be something in the air, i had a similar scenario on my commute this morning. i veer around a cab as he accelerates past then slams on his brakes to get to the curb in a hurry. when i'm back into the right lane, about 30 seconds later this idiot in a luxury sedan pulls up behind me and leans on the horn then speeds off. so i catch him at a red light and spit all over his window. probably not the most mature response but mad is mad, what can i say. i'm going to start riding around in one of those fully enclosed trikes, i wonder if they're any safer. glad you're ok eyefloater.

HORK on the window is fine I normaly do that to peeps that park in the bike lane , giving the BIRD is my fav

It never fails to boggle my mind why, when you're in a car with all that power at your toe, why they feel the need to accelerate then brake, when going behind the biker and just waiting a couple seconds ( all it ever seems to be) is so much better for the car itself AND all fleshies involved.

The spitting thing can have some serious repercussions, J. Be prepared to fight for your life if you're going to do that. Drivers' reactions to that can range from bewilderment to full on red-faced murderous insanity.

oh yeah, i realize that it's not the best thing to do. i took a peek in the window and the guy didin't look too mean so i just decided to lose my temper. honestly, i do it a lot less now because if it pisses someone off it makes everyone on a bike look bad.

It never fails to boggle my mind why, when you're in a car with all that power at your toe, why they feel the need to accelerate then brake, when going behind the biker and just waiting a couple seconds ( all it ever seems to be) is so much better for the car itself AND all fleshies involved.

The spitting thing can have some serious repercussions, J. Be prepared to fight for your life if you're going to do that. Drivers' reactions to that can range from bewilderment to full on red-faced murderous insanity.

well these drivers don't give a sh*t if they kill you any way's so if you get a close call do what you want to them

It used to be a fav of mine many moons ago, until it became toe-to-toe in the middle of the street. I've been trying to control my temper on the road as well but some days...... Drivers don't seem to get it until it sinks in that no matter what they do they will be ok BUT that it's soooo easy for them to kill someone else. Our reactions are those of someone who just came within a hair of possibly being killed thus we tend to go into full survival reaction mode much quicker, and this baffles drivers'.

I still want to study electrical engineering to create an EMP field around me and my bike so that if you get within two feet of it your engine will conk out. As well a glove that will concentrate a pulse over wherever i touch frying the chips would be nice for a more permanent solution.

Last month a courier (dunno who) cussed out a friend of mine because he opened the door of the cab to get out without looking first for a cyclist. He must have been a newb because pretty much every cyclist in Toronto knows that you always approach a cab with caution, especially if they are just sitting in a lane, you'll get doored if you don't. My friend felt bad about it until I pointed out this to him. Everyone can be a jerk, I guess.